Who is Benedict Cumberbatch?

Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch was born on 19 July 1976 in London to actors Wanda Ventham and Timothy Carlton.

After going to Harrow School, he studied drama at the University of Manchester (where he became friends with Judge Rinder), and then went to the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.

In Benedict Cumberbatch's early career he was credited under his father’s stage surname Carlton.

He acted in various TV shows, notably as Stephen Hawking in the 2004 BBC drama Hawking, and films such as Starter for Ten, but came to widespread public attention in July 2010 when he was cast in the title role of the BBC's Sherlock, which proved a huge hit and would lead to Cumberbatch winning an Emmy.

He also won an Olivier award for Frankenstein at the National Theatre.

His subsequent films included The Imitation Game, for which he was nominated for an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Alan Turing,

His Shakesperian performances include playing the lead role in Richard III for the BBC and playing Hamlet on stage.

Cumberbatch was also asked to read a poem at the re-internment of Richard III in Leicester Cathedral.

In 2016, Benedict Cumberbatch was cast in the lead role in the film Doctor Strange.

In February 2017, it was revealed that Cumberbatch would play the title role in Melrose, commissioned by Sky Atlantic and Showtime, based on Edward St Aubyn's Patrick Melrose novels.

In the same year he was cast in BBC1's adaptation of Ian McEwan's novel The Child in Time.

He is married to the theatre director Sophie Hunter, and they have a son, Kit.

In 2018 Benedict Cumberbatch was cast as Vote Leave's campaign director Dominic Cummings in a Channel Four docudrama about Brexit.